Sourdough, a love story, with Ed + Natasha Tatton of BReD

The Allsorts Podcast

There are few things that unite us as much as a good loaf of bread. Humans have been consuming the stuff for thousands of years, starting with the the preparation of simple flatbreads from wild grains to the large scale production of breads from domesticated wheats in ancient Egypt…quite literally, bread in all its forms, from tortilla to naan to baguettes, is one of the foundations upon which our civilization has sustained itself.

And there is something magical about making bread at home, especially sourdough. With just flour, water and salt - and a little help from the helpful lactic acid bacteria that are all around us - you can create something so delicious that you might just forget that it is inherently vegan…which brings us to today’s guests, Ed and Natasha Tatton.

Ed and Natasha are owners of the legendary BReD in Whistler and authors of the new book BReD: sourdough loaves, small breads and other plant-based baking.

Ed’s Bred is legendary in these parts so I am excited to introduce you to Ed and Natasha and in this episode we talk about everything from how these two ended up opening a vegan sourdough bakery halfway across the world from their birthplace to what its really like working with your significant other and a few of the surprises they encountered with the North American palate…this episode is filled with so many funny moments. Even if you’re not a bread nerd (YET) you’re going to love it!

About Ed and Natasha:

Ed Tatton is a professional chef who has been to culinary college and worked in high-end kitchens in the UK, Australia, New Zealand as well as Canada, but now specializes in making organic naturally leavened sourdough. As co-owner of BReD–Organic Sourdough with his wife Natasha, Ed leads a small bakery team, making and baking bread, pizza dough, and other small baked goods. These days, Ed’s food is compassionately 100% plant-based, a movement he is passionately excited to be part of and help grow for the benefit of people, the planet, and animals. He lives in Whistler, BC.

Natasha Tatton is an English teacher turned bakery manager, animal rights advocate and co-founder of BReD–Organic Sourdough, a 100% plant-based café/bakery in Whistler, BC. Natasha has taught English all over the world but now leads a small front-of-house team of cashiers and baristas. She taught English and ventured into various food and beverage roles, nurturing her desire to establish a vegan eatery to provide more compassionate food choices for people.

On this episode we chat about:

• How Ed and Natasha met and ended up halfway across the world in Whistler, Canada
• Ed’s path from chef in Michelin-starred kitchens to sourdough nerd
• How a yoga studio helped Ed and Natasha launch their bread business
• Why Ed and Natasha were nervous about letting others know they were vegan
• What we get wrong about vegan flavours
• Some of Ed’s favourite vegan baking substitutes
• Why you should try making your own sourdough (don’t be nervous!)
• Why zero waste matters to Ed and Natasha
• Our no-holds-barred (!) discussion of cream cheese icing
• Ed and Natasha on being partners in life and work

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